Time to wake up

Context: Romans 12 pleaded that experiencing God’s mercies leads believers to now put their bodies to good use. By being renewed in the mind, they may confirm God’s will from the heart to become humble, loving and to overcome evil with good among themselves and in a world hostile to God and his people. Romans 13 now addresses how this new freedom in Christ guides believers to comply with the laws of their governments while already living as citizens of a future kingdom of heaven.

Warm-up: Do you like to sleep in, and if so, how do you feel about the way it shortens the day?

Read: Romans 13

1) vv1-2: One of the great evils in this world are corrupt governments, especially those that oppress their people in the name of God. Was Paul naive and ignored this?

• Hint: How much justice did Christians in Rome (incl. many slaves) enjoy? And why were Roman emperors worshiped as deities? And how about wicked kings in the OT? Does the context of Ro 13 ignore the scale of state-sponsored injustice? Or does Romans tackle it head on? Ro 12:21
• Why then should Christians let every person submit to every authority, v1?
• The doctrine that all governments, good and bad, are ordained by God seems strange to us. Where did Paul get this idea? cf Jer 27:5; Dan 2:21; 4:17, 25, 32
  • Did all Israelites believe what Paul endorsed here? cf Mk 3:18; Jn 18:40 – why did the Zealots violently revolt against Rome?
  • What did Jesus teach on this subject? Jn 19:11
  • Why do we find this teaching hard to accept?

2) How do vv2-7 explain the reasons why Christians are called to ‘submit’ to their governments?

• v2: Whose judgment does v2 talk about? vv3-5
• v6: Are Christians only obliged to pay taxes to governments that do a good job in administering justice?
  • How did taxes to the Roman government raise a dilemma especially for believers?

3) What does submission mean? Is it unconditional?

• What can we learn from examples of civil disobedience in the Bible? cf Ex 1:17; Dan 3:16-18; 6:10; Acts 5:29
  • e.g., how about Christians (and others) who gave shelter to Jews to hide them from Nazi police? cf Heb 11:31
• What if rival governments are at war, e.g. during a revolution, sedition, or foreign occupation?
  • How can the conscience be helpful to guide your allegiance, v5?
• Besides taxes and custom, what else do Christians owe to authorities in government? => What is proper ‘respect’?
  • Read Acts 23:2-5. When Paul learned who it was who ordered his beating, how did that affect his attitude?

4) vv8-10: After exhorting believers to love one another (Ro 12:10) and their enemies (Ro 12:14), what does chapter 13 add? v8

• Why here and not in Ro 12:11? => Whose law is Ro 13 talking about?
  • v9: Which of the 10 commandments, Ex 20:13-17? Why not one of the first tablet?
  • v10: How does love fulfill e.g. our traffic laws?

5) vv11-14 describe Christian morality in several metaphors, e.g. walking properly as in the daytime, v13. Why?

• v11, “you know the time”: What time?
• How did Ro 1-7 explain what it means to wake up from ‘sleep’?
• How did Ro 8-11 explain in what sense salvation is still in the future?
• v12: What are ‘night’ and the ‘works of darkness’? v13; cf Jn 3:19-21
• v14: How does putting on the Lord Jesus Christ differ from wearing ‘sheep’s clothing’? Mt 7:15
  • What is armor of light, and how can believers ‘put it on’?
  • What is the purpose of wearing such armor?

6) Personal & application

• How can you tell when Christians are sleepy or awakened, respectively?
• How can you tell when you yourself are only half awake?
• Where does Ro 13 with its wake up call ask you to begin to walk in the light of day?
  • Where are you tempted to shun the light when it comes to putting love to daytime work?
  • e.g. consider how you think of people in your government, and of neighbors in your street
• How can you help each other to stay spiritually awake?